Examination of disaster preparedness perceptions of prehospital emergency health service working personnel in disaster management: The case of Van province

Disasters have always occurred along with the formation of civilizations. Along with the developments in technological fields, development initiatives have manifested themselves with the construction of numerous infrastructures and the adoption of settled life. However, the damage that disasters cause to life, property and the environment in societies has gradually increased. In particular, the fact that our country is located in a region where disasters are experienced intensively causes thousands of people to be affected every year. Therefore, it is important to be prepared for disasters and take the necessary precautions in order to reduce the losses caused by disasters in our country and to meet medical care needs. Indeed, in addition to the adequacy of materials and medical equipment against disasters, pre-hospital emergency health personnel working at the forefront of health services must also have effective and coordinated intervention skills in disasters. Therefore, it is extremely important to evaluate the perceptions of disaster preparedness in order to improve this effectiveness and intervention skills of health personnel. The aim of this study is to examine the perception of disaster preparedness of pre-hospital emergency health personnel operating in Van province and to evaluate whether this perception differs according to demographic and occupational variables. With this intention, the study was conducted in Van province; with 271 healthcare personnel working under the roof of the Provincial Ambulance Service Chief Physician affiliated to the Provincial Health Directorate, on a voluntary basis. Quantitative research method was used in the study; it was delivered to the personnel through an online survey. The data collected online from the survey was analyzed with content analysis and statistical methods. According to the results of the study, although significant differences were found in the age, gender, education level, profession, unit they work in, disaster experience and response status, and perceived preparedness levels of the personnel, no significant difference was found in terms of service period. However, in the literature review, it was concluded that there were both supporting and not supporting these differences, and the effects of these variables on the perception of disaster preparedness were contradictory. In this context, it is recommended that the knowledge and competencies of the personnel at all levels be improved in order to be more conscious and effective in disaster preparedness.